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The Best of Car Talk Final Broadcast

Weekly broadcast production of The Best of Car Talk has come to an end... and what a ride it has been!

Car Talk began as a local program on WBUR, its longtime home base in Boston, in 1977. After developing an early loyal following among WBUR listeners, the show made its national debut with NPR in 1987. The uninhibited Boston brothers were an instant nationwide hit, dispensing automotive first aid and roadside philosophy to millions of listeners on more than 600 public radio stations. Remarkably, Car Talk has been produced at WBUR for all of its 39 years, along the way becoming one of the icons that defines public radio. WMRA is now presenting Weekend Edition Saturday from 8am - 11am, extending the program by an hour.

Listeners can still hear past episodes of Car Talk via podcast every week. So if you want to spend an hour with Click and Clack, at your convenience, it’s easy and free. You can also continue to engage Car Talk on Facebook and on their web site cartalk.com.
 
For many listeners, Car Talk was the program that introduced them to public radio. Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, Tom and Ray... however you remember them, they brought joy, mischief, sound advice and infectious laughter into millions of homes every weekend for 30 years. 
 
Tom and Ray Magliozzi retired from Car Talk in October 2012, but the program continued as The Best of Car Talk, a compilation of the best calls and antics, for another 5 years. Tom Magliozzi passed away in November, 2014 and is survived by his brother Ray.

In his farewell letter to fans, Ray Magliozzi wrote this:

You can’t possibly have enjoyed Car Talk as much as my brother and I have. Over three decades, it was an unparalleled pleasure to take your calls, make your car problems slightly worse, and accidentally insert strife into your family relationships.

But as Buddha teaches us, change is inevitable. That’s Vinnie Buddha, by the way. He owned the sandwich shop next to our garage, and he’d tell us that whenever he ran out of pastrami.

So now change is coming to your station. It’s time for us to step aside and make room for new programs; one of which could turn out to be your next favorite show. Or it could be a disaster; one may be the next Car Talk.

It’s been a tremendous honor and privilege to be able to waste an hour with you on this station every week, for all these years. We thank them and we thank you.

- Ray

P.S. And whatever you do, don’t drive like my brother!

Matt Bingay is the Executive Director and General Manager for WMRA and WEMC.